Last Plane To Kansai

As an habitual (if moderate) control freak, and not one to save pennies only to experience stress or hassle, flying standby doesn't come naturally to me. Or rather, it didn't. Let me explain...

Having only 11 days on this latest trip to Japan meant if we wanted to do all the things we'd like to (and why not?) that there'd be a few times when we'd be cutting timing between activities (and locations) a bit fine. Moreover, to help keep travel costs low (and thus keep spending money high) we opted to fly standby. For those unfamiliar, standby is when you have booked a seat but your seat isn't confirmed until you are at the departure lounge and ready to fly... or not as luck might have it.

Airlines always want to fill the maximum number of seats they have as possible. Moreover, passengers, tending to be human beings, experience all sorts of trials and tribulations, changed plans and minds, meaning a number of 'confirmed passengers' are actually only a statistical probability. They are only ever a fact, an actual passenger, when they go through the gate and board the flight. When you buy a standby ticket you'll either be fortunate enough to be allocated an unsold 'regular' seat or, somewhat more risky and (literally) last-minute, if a plane is full (or even over-booked), but there are 'no-shows' (that is people who just don't turn up), then that is when the intrepid standbyer gets a look in.

Just how last minute, Yuko and I discovered for ourselves last night. Starting in Tokyo, we had standby tickets for an internal flight from Haneda airport to Kobe. We had forwarded our luggage from our hotel to home in Kobe that morning, meaning we were unencumbered and could be fleet of foot. Since we'd spent as much time as possible in the early evening at a friend's club in Shibuya, we had to catch a train (actually two) to get out to Haneda airport in the hope we could get on a late flight over to the Kansai region. The good news is that Japan's domestic airlines being as developed as they are meant theoretically we could aim for any of three airports: Kobe, Kansai International, or Itami (aka Osaka International airport)

The last flights available out of Tokyo on a Sunday evening were actually:

20:15 to Kobe

20:20 to Kansai International

21:00 to Kansai International

We left the club in Shibuya at 18:45 and arrived at Handea airport at 19:45 – just 30 minutes before our first option. The travel geek in me wanted it to be the first as I'd never used Kobe airport. It felt like ticking another one off was a bit like a badge of achievement (if not exactly honour). Our rough plan was that if, worst case scenario, we couldn't get two seats out tonight then we'd crash in a capsule hotel.

When using standby it is important to follow procedure. The most important thing is to get 'short-listed'. That means getting your names on the list of standbys hoping to get a seat on the next flight. In this regard,standby is like the best of nightclubs: 'If your name isn't on the list then you ain't getting in (or on!)'. Slots on this name list are allocate strictly on a first-come, first-served basis. We got short-listed for the three Kansai flights. Meaning, if there was no space on the first, then you are bumped to the next, and the next until your options run out. The next step was to clear security and go through to the departure gates, where we'd go up to Gate 58 where the 20:15 to Kobe was boarding. Kobe being a relatively small internal airport meant that the Kobe plane was a small one, meaning the chances of us getting on were slim at best.

Moreover, it was clear that several other people had the same idea as us. Each holding a standby order number for each consecutive flight. On each of our order numbers was the time that any available standby seats would be announced. For the 20:15 flight the time was 20:05. The departure gate looked busy. There was a steady stream of passengers boarding the flight. Then, at the allotted time, 20:05, one of the ANA desk staff picked up the PA microphone and read out the first numbers. The two lucky individuals, brandishing their standby numbers ran up to the desk. A quick flurry of paperwork and they were ushered on-board. Moments later, the same ANA staff made another announcement. It wasn't the one we were hoping for. “Ladies and Gentlemen, there are no more available seats on this flight.” Upon hearing this we, and several others about turned, and quickly jogged to Gate 59 for the impending 20:20 departure.

Standby announcement time here was 20:10. It was already 20:10 when we got there. As this was the penultimate flight to Kansai International (a much bigger airport) the plane would be larger, possibly presenting a better chance. The departure gate was packed. Again, even with the most optimistic outlook, the signs were not promising. As the gate staff were already well into boarding the confirmed passengers, there was a more frantic air around us standbyers. Here, the usual Japanese reserve and decorum was tangibly breaking down. Instead of waiting for the appropriate PA announcement, instantly, a couple of others waiving their number vouchers, rushed up to the desk asking about the viability of joining those currently beeping their way through. Two ANA staff  held their polite manner (in spite of the clear breach or protocol) and advised something along the lines of the familiar 'It's possible but there is no guarantee'.

As the departure lounge thinned out, the procedure experienced five minutes earlier was repeated. This time, two staff shared the good news announcements. A couple of young office lady types were clearly delighted to be joining the flight. A middle-aged business man was next up; then a young couple. Within a few, blurry moments the bad news came: 'No more room at the inn'.

This was getting desperate, yet having psyched myself up for the idea of not actually departing this evening and, instead, viewing the prospect of having to slot into a capsule (for the first time) as a potentially new experience I found myself to be uncharacteristically relaxed about the whole thing.

We had what felt like ages until we needed to be at Gate 60 for our last option – a full thirty minutes until the 20:45 announcement. We secured a seat close to the ticket barrier at the gate and within viewing distance of a demonstration LG television – showing a volleyball match between Japan and another country I couldn't confidently identify, but judging by their flag I think was Kazakhstan. (The Japanese team won and in doing so secured their place in the 2012 London Olympics. I sensed a vague analogy to our own circumstance in there somewhere.) We could at least distract ourselves for the final countdown.

My demeanour was (still) surprisingly chilled. I must be getting used to this kind of travel. Or perhaps the off-kilter body clock (21:00 Japan time would be 13:00 back home) was involuntarily slowing down my heart rate. At 20:45 the PA system crackled into life for perhaps the last time this evening. Would we be flying home tonight, or would this be an announcement that a search for a nearby capsule hotel was about to begin another leg in our journey? Two ladies squealed with glee when their numbers were read out. The regular passengers rapidly working their way through the gate casting them slightly confused/slightly disapproving glances. Oddly, having been through the same procedure twice before in the last 50 minutes, I found myself a somewhat distanced observer, rather than an active participant. I was trying to visualise exactly what a 'First Class' capsule room actually looked like (they are large enough for two) when Yuko turned to me with a gasp of “Ah!”... ladies and gentlemen, we were getting on board the last plane to Kansai. 

I wouldn't recommend standby tickets to uber control freaks or those with an awful lot of money, prepared to walk up and pay through the nose for a last minute Premium Class seat that they could enjoy for the best part of 60 minutes. For those on a budget, the chilled type, or those flexible enough not to be overly concerned if they do not fly on their flight of first choice and who want to leverage options to keep day-to-day spending money at a maximum (like us) then they can be terrific value - easily a quarter of what you'd usually pay. What's more, the use of them can be a mini-adventure in its own right.